Press Releases, 12/3/2012 | Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland

Minister Stubb to take a Team Finland trip to Algeria

Press release 286/2012
3 December 2012

Minister for European Affairs and Foreign Trade Alexander Stubb’s last Team Finland trip this year to promote exports and internationalisation of Finnish companies will be made to Algeria on 4 to 6 December. Stubb will be accompanied by 17 Finnish businesses and other actors representing a range of sectors. The delegation, put together by Finpro, will consist of companies from such fields as the maritime industry, construction, energy, information, communication technology, and the health sector.

Finland is currently making major investments in the growing African market. Algeria in North Africa is an almost debt-free oil and gas producer which has doubled its gross national income in five years. The European Union is Algeria’s most important trading partner, and for Finland, the country is third most important export destination in Africa. Finnish companies are interested particularly in Algeria’s major harbour projects, large infrastructure projects, opportunities related to the growth of the IT sector, and projects related to renewable energy and the water sector.

During his visit, Minister Stubb will meet, for example, Algerian Minister of Foreign Affairs Mourad Medelci and other ministers accompanied by the members of the delegation. He will also participate in a seminar organised in collaboration with the Algerian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

In addition to promotion of exports and internationalisation, the Team Finland visits are an opportunity to convey a positive image of Finland to the world. To this end, the Embassy of Finland in Algeria will host an Independence Day Concert on 5 December with Anssi Karttunen’s Zebra Quartet performing. One of the leading Finnish modern composers, Magnus Lindberg, also plays in the quartet.